SPOTLIGHT February 2 Answer of the Day Which book is second only to the Bible in the influence it has had on readers lives? According to a 1991 report by the Library of Congress, that distinction goes to Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. Released in October 1957, the novel espoused Rands view that individuals have the right to live entirely for their own interest, and laid the groundwork for her follow-up nonfictional writings on Objectivism. Detractors call her economic and political views selfish, immoral and greedy. Fans applaud her belief that private success leads to the betterment of society and that individuals should strive for excellence. Ayn Rand was born in Russia on this date in 1905; she immigrated to the United States at the age of 21 and became a screenwriter. Her first major novel, The Fountainhead, was published in 1943 to a lukewarm reception. Over the course of the next two years, word of mouth propelled the book to the bestseller lists, where it stayed for 26 weeks. Quote We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality. — Ayn Rand Word of the day John Bull (jon bul) noun 1. A personification of England or the English people. 2. A typical Englishman. Etymology After John Bull, a character in John Arbuthnots satire, Law Is a Bottomless Pit (1712). Usage Current historiography on the Mandate period is no longer dominated by a demonization of the British, which was a recurrent theme during the first decades of the state. Yet the disintegration of the old mythology is no reason to create a new mythology, this one a fantasy of John Bull in Palestine as a kind of disoriented Santa Claus, as in Segevs skewed account. — Anita Shapira; Eyeless in Zion; The New Republic (Washington, DC); Dec 11, 2000 Weekly theme eponyms (© Wordsmith.org) Previous words: Annie Oakley, jobbernowl, illeist Holiday Groundhog Day: shadow or no shadow? Todays History The Cardiff Giant The Cardiff Giant Buenos Aires: was founded by Pedro de Mendoza of Spain (1536) Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: agreement ended the Mexican-American War, with Mexico ceding much of the US West and Southwest (1848) Cardiff Giant: 10-foot-tall petrified man was revealed as a hoax; the figure was made of gypsum (1870) F.W. de Klerk: lifted the 30-year ban on the African National Congress and promised to free Nelson Mandela (1990) Todays Birthdays Graham Nash Graham Steve Nash Talleyrand (1754-1838): diplomat, statesman; also, Abba Eban (1915-2002) James Joyce (1882-1941): author of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake; plus, poet and novelist James Dickey (1923-1997) George Halas (1895-1983): football pioneer who founded the Chicago Bears; wide receiver Donald Driver (35) also celebrates a birthday today Graham Nash (68): musician, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; also, musicians Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987), Stan Getz (1927-1991), Tom Smothers (73) and Shakira (33) Marissa Jaret Winokur (37): Tony Award-winning actor, Hairspray; also, actors Elaine Stritch (84?), Robert Mandan (78), Bo Hopkins (68), Farrah Fawcett (1947-2009), Brent Spiner and Jack McGee (both 61), Kim Zimmer (55) and Jennifer Westfeldt (40) Read more: answers/topic/tuesday-february-2-2010-from-today-s-highlights-archive#ixzz2sACbOkEc
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 11:34:51 +0000
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